Okay, Let's see if I can make it through this post without sophomoric jokes about your anus. (Damn!). Now, I know some of you out there are saying "It's pronounced YOU-ran-IS." Sadly, you would be wrong. It is a pet peeve of mine, because I actually remember the news story where US teachers were petitioning to have the name changed because they could not stand the jokes and giggling when they were trying to teach astronomy. It is, for the record, pronounced "U-ray-nus" and has been since it's discovery in 1781 by Sir William Herschel the German born, British Astronomer... (well, okay he actually named it George's Star, after King George III, but other astronomers convinced him to name it Uranus). Uranus is named for the Greek God Ouranos god of the skies, who became Uranus when the Romans assimilated the Greek Gods into their mythology.Okay, rant over, back to our beer. Tonight's offering is Sawdust City's most anticipated seasonal of the year. Long Dark Voyage is a (HUGE) 10.2% Imperial Stout, which I guess is why it is out of this world. Well, we have waited long enough... let the voyage commence...

Pours a cosmically dark brown/black with a good sized tan head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is rich coffee and dark chocolate with toasted bread, a slight nuttiness, some wood, and a touch of vanilla. First sip is deep and dark malt, some lightly burnt sugar and a good strong hit of dark cocoa powder. Very earthy with a good backbone of bitterness from the magnum and centennial hops. One feels all of the 10.2% alcohol in every sip (not for the faint of heart... or liver). Mouthfeel is slightly viscous and tongue coating, making the lips slightly tacky like one has just eaten ribs and has not removed all of the BBQ sauce yet. Aeration was dangerous... it was like snorting a martini, pure alcohol (I actually coughed a little!). After trying a second time, the aeration whipped the beer like heavy cream and deepened the chocolate flavour, softened the bitterness, but accentuated the tartness of the hops.

Cost: 5/6 PASSColour: 6/6 EXCEPTIONALBeer Style: 6/6 EXCEPTIONALRe-Order: 5/6 PASSExperience: 6/6 EXCEPTIONALFinal Thoughts:Wow. If I was ever on a long dark voyage to... well... y'know, I would want this beer and plenty of it. Full bodied, rich, thick, delicious. This has been number one on my "must try" list for some time, as it was the first beer from Sawdust City that I had heard of. It did not disappoint. It is just hitting shelves and I believe it is going to the LCBO. So get out there and try a voyage of your own. Just remember, 10.2 % ABV, share with a friend.CJTFollow me on Twitter: @pintjockeyLike me on Facebook: Pint Jockey Online